APD Safety Report for first half of 2015

July 30,2015

Chief George Turner, Deputy Chief Joe Spillane, and Major Wayne Whitmire provided the semi-annual safety update for Downtown at this morning’s Town Hall Meeting. Overall crime is down in Downtown. We have made significant strides in mitigating Larcenies from Auto thefts, which is Downtown’s biggest crime concern, along with some other nuisance type violations. This progress can be attributed to effective public and private partnerships. Additionally, prevention and enforcement efforts have significantly reduced the Burglary incidents in Downtown.

The new Monetary Solicitation Ordinance will be a great aid in mitigating Illegal Monetary Solicitation Downtown with the return of the “Tourist Triangle.” APD has also deployed more mobile and efficient assets by equipping the beat officers with more highly visible Police Bikes and Segways.

Also addressed was the Ambassador Force Restructuring, with a shifting focus more in line with Public Safety and Quality of Life issues. This included how the Ambassador Force was being deployed in a more mobile fashion, with some resources being realigned to address homelessness and other social impacting issues. The overall reduction in crime is even more significant considering the addition of the Streetcar, other business and residential development, and more events and population density during this year.